Heel



Sept. 6, 1932. B su v 1,876,361

Filed Sept. 9. 1931 "Q the present invention;

Patented Sept. 6, 1932 UNITED STA'TES PETER B. SULLIVAN, OERANDOLPH, MASSACHUSETTS HEEL Application filed September 9,1931. Serial No. 561,862.

This invention relates to heels for boots and shoes and is more especially concerned with the mounting of the top lift on high heels for womens shoes.

It is a common practice to secure a rubber or leather top lift on the bottom of a heel. Practically all of the'wear on the heel comes on the top lift and it becomes necessary, therefore, to renew such top lifts rather frequently. This is very easily accomplished when the heel has a tread surface of substantial area, but it is a more diflicult matter on high heels such as the Louis heel, kidney heel, and others'of a similar type in which the top lift is relatively small. And this is particularly true on wood heels of the styles just mentioned sincethe dimensions of the parts of the heel into which the fastenings must be driven to secure the top lift in place are such that they are very likely to split or Splinter and thus fail to hold the fastenings securely.

The present invention deals especially with this problem. It aims to improve the constructi'on of heels and top lifts and of the securing means for. top lifts with a view to facilitating the renewal of the top lifts while at the same time providing a construction which will hold a toplift securely in its operative position on the heel.

The nature of the invention will be readily understood from the following description when read in connection with the accompanying drawing, and the novel features will be particularly pointed out in the appended claims. i In the drawing,

Figure 1 is a perspective view of the different parts of a complete heel embodying Fig. 2 is a front elevation of the construction shown in Fig. 1 but showing the parts in their assembled relationship but with part of the breast cover lifted;

Fig. 3 is a plan view of a blank from which the top lift attaching plate shown in Fig. 1 is made;

Fig. 4 is a plate; and

Fig. 5 is a vertical longitudinal sectional plan view of a different form of view of the assembled heel shown in Fig.2.

The drawing shows the invention as applied to a wood heel 2, although it will be understood that it can be used equally well in other forms of heels. The heel shown is covered in a manner common in this art,- thiscovering including a main section aforthe sides and rounded rear end of the heel and another section b for the breast of the heel.

In these respects the heel may be made in the usual manner. The-heel shown, however, departs from the usual constructions in having a cavity 3 formed; in its lower or treadface 0, this cavity extending rearwardo =ly into the heel from the breast surface thereof.

The top lift 4 preferably, but not necessarily, is made of rubber and is provided with an upstanding lug 5 which is made integral with, or is otherwise rigidly secured to, the main body of the top lift. This lug is shaped to fit approximately in the recess or cavity 3. r 1

For the purpose of securing the top lift in its operative position on the heel 2, a top lift attaching plate 6 of novel form is secured to the lower face 0 of the heel by screws, nails, or other fastening devices, the plate being provided with holes 7 to receive such fastenings; If it is desired to have the edge of this plate Show in the finished heel, then it is made of such shape and dimensions as to lie flush with the edge faces of the heel 2. The plate is slotted, as shown at 8, and the opposite edges or walls of this slot have teeth 9 formed in them, these teeth being directed backwardly awayfrom: the open end of the slot.

When this plate is secured on the heel in the plate 6 being shown in Fig. 8

ward end of the slot 8 is opened, the operation of inserting the top lift in its proper position is easily accomplished. When once in its operative position, however, the teeth not only prevent any substantial movement of the top lift in the reverse direction, but they also serve, through their engagement with the lug 5 tohold the toplift securely in its operative position. Preferably these parts are assembled in the relationship shown in Figs. 2 and 5 before the breast cover. 6 is applied, or at least before its lower portion has been cemented in its final position.

It is desirable to have the edges of the top lift t hug the lower surface-of the plate 6, and for this reason the upper margin of the main body of the top lift preferably is raised slightly, as indicated at 10 in Fig. 1, so that the extreme upper edge of the top lift around the sides and rounded rear end thereof lie in a plane somewhat higher than that of the greater part of the upper surface of the lift, the margin being downwardly 1nclined, as clearly shown in 1.

Whenever it is desired to renew the top lift 4 it can be removed by slitting it with a knife longitudinally from front to rear and along approximately a vertical plane, the cut preferably being deep enough to divide both the mainbody of the top lift and aiso the lug 5. The top lift may then be bent to tip the split sections of the lug out of the cavity 3. A new top lift can then be placed on the heel in the manner above described.

The plate Gniay be made of any suitable sheet metal, some metal which will not corrode being preferred. 1 have found that aluminum serves this purpose very satisfactorily. These plates may be punched from sheet metal, a suitable punching or blank for at 6. I consider it preferable, but not essential, to make a small V-shaped tongue 12 at the rear end of the slot in the plate which later will be bent down into the position shown in Fig. 1 where it will form an abutment for the rearward end of the lug 5. Such a tongue is not necessary if the cavities 3 are made accurately, but it is of advantage in reducing the accuracy required in this operation,

while at the same time effectively lipgiing the rearward movementof the lug into the cavity. i

A slightly different form of top lift attaching plate is shown in Fig. 4 which is like the plate shown in Fig. 1 except that the area has been considerably reduced, so that the edges of the plate will be spaced inwardly from the sides and rounded rear end of the heel, thus permitting the bevelled margin 10 of the top lift to bear directly against the lower surface 0 of the heel 2. A construction of this character is preferable when it is desired not to have the edge of the plate show on the completed heel, as it does in Fig. 2. The plate 6 may or may not have integral prongs 14 to assist in securing it in its operative position.

The invention thus provides a construction which facilitates the renewal of the top lift on a heel, while at the same time securely holding the top lift to the heel.

While I have herein shown and described a preferred embodiment of my invention, it will be understood that the invention may be embodied in other forms Without departing from the spirit or scope thereof.

Having thus described my invention, what I desire to claim as new is:

1. A shoe heel having a cavity in its lower face, said cavity extending rearwardly into said heel fromthe breast surface thereof, a plate secured on said lower face, a rubber top lift having an integrallug extending up .wardly therefrom into said cavity, said plate. having a slot therein provided with an open end adjacent to said breast surface, whereby said top lift may be moved into its operative position on the heel by sliding said lug into said slot and cavity in a rearward direction,

and teeth carried by said plate and gripping the base of d lug at opposite sides thereof to lock said top lift in its operative position on said heel, a substantial portion of said lug being positioned above the level of said teeth.

2. A shoe heel having a cavity in its lower face, said cavity extending rearwardly into said heel from the breast surface thereof, a plate secured on said lower face, a rubber top lift having an integral lug extending upwardly therefrom into said cavity, said plate having a slot therein to register approximately with the cavity in said heel and the edges of said slot having teeth overlying the opposite margins of said cavity and directed rearwardly to grip said lug, whereby said teeth permit the introduction of said lug into said cavity in a direction rearwardly of the heel but serve by their engagement with the lug to prevent any substantial movement of said lug in a forward direction, a substantial portion of said lug being positioned above the level of said teeth. I I

3. A top lift attaching plate shaped and designed for attachment to the lower face of a permanent shoe heel and having a slot open at one end, the opposite inner edges of said slot having teeth formed therein which are directed away from the open end of the slot, for engaging a top lift.

PETER B. SULLIVAN. 

